Mark has known John for more then 30 years. So, when John retired Mark decided to hire him and teach him locksmithing. Let's just say that John is more artistic then mechanically inclined. He didn't last here for more then a few months.
Kristin had called me on her way home from work. She sounded happy, upbeat and asked if I would stop at Walgreen's to pick up her prescription since I had to drive right by the store. I told her I was happy to do so.
When I got home Kristin arrived just a few minutes after I did. She didn't come in right away. I finally went through the back door to the driveway towards her truck after she hadn't come in after 10 minutes. As I neared her jeep she held up her hand through the window in a 'Stop' motion. I could see she was on the phone, so I went back inside.
I asked Chris who she was talking to. He had no idea. Chris finally went out himself after about 40 minutes. Kristin finally came in the house after that. It was very apparent that whoever she had been talking to drastically changed her mood. Where she was happy earlier, now she was irritable, moody and did not want to talk at all.
I decided to not try to push the issue and went into my bedroom. When I tried to turn on the bedroom light I heard the ceiling light go *pop*. I pulled up a chair and did my very best to get the burnt out light bulb out, but it was stuck. Kristin was walking by and asked what I was doing. Then she tried to get the light bulb out and couldn't. She said, "Just leave it. You have a night stand light." I explained to her that it is not enough light for the room. She responded, "I don't remember signing up to be a landlord." After the comment she went to get Chris. I'll admit, I was reeling over her comment, but as usual kept my mouth shut. Chris was able to get the bulb out and get the new one in.
Later, when Kristin was in the bedroom, Chris told me that the person that Kristin had been talking to earlier was John (the barber). It seems John receives daily phone calls from Mark - all collect - and he accepts them. John has a lot of depression issues of his own, so it seems he felt as though he could 'help a friend in need' by talking to Mark every day and relay messages for him.
Chris explained that during Kristin's and John's conversation, John told Kristin "you need to help Mark." He further said that she needed to talk to Chris about dropping the charges for Riviera Beach. Obviously, John was just stating information that Mark had said to him.
What both Mark and John just don't get is that no one, not Chris or myself, have the ability to drop charges even if we wanted to. Florida made sure that after a person is arrested and charges are filed the issue is completely taken out of the victim's hands. That way the victim no longer has to make any decisions. That is the states attorney's job. That's not to say that the states attorney doesn't talk to the victims throughout the process. But, deciding whether to go forward is their decision alone.
It all made sense now why Kristin went from being happy to angry in the course of an hour. Mark, and anyone or anything to do with Mark, will upset her in the drop of a hat. I have learned not to talk about him at all unless she brings up the conversation. Even then we end up usually in an argument.
Hopefully tomorrow things will be back to normal
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